S. John Tsagronis

Vice President, Science Applications International Corporation; Former Senior Director for Policy Implementation and Execution on the National Security Council

S. John Tsagronis is Vice President and Director for National Security Strategy and Execution Support in the Defense Solutions Group of SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) in McLean, Virginia. He recently joined SAIC from the White House, where he was the Senior Director for Policy Implementation and Execution on the National Security Council Staff. In that capacity, he reported directly to the National Security Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser on a broad range of issues at the nexus of policy development and operational planning. He was responsible for a new NSC strategic review and management process that monitored performance against our national security objectives, and he conducted a two-year review of the overall performance of the U.S. national security system on behalf of the former National Security Adviser, a summary report of which was prepared for the transition and General Jones.

Mr. Tsagronis is also Adjunct Professor of Statecraft and National Security Affairs at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC where he teaches graduate courses on the U.S. National Security Policy Process and on the uniquely American approach to counterinsurgency.

Immediately prior to joining the NSC Staff, he was the Senior Director for Security Programs in the State Department’s Bureau for Foreign Assistance where he managed the political-military portfolio together with representatives from State, Defense and the Joint Staff. Previously, he served as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development where he was responsible for the policy and program oversight of the Agency’s efforts in the global war on terrorism, coordination on counterinsurgency policy with other U.S. Government officials, and liaison with international donors on matters of interest to U.S. national security.

Before joining President Bush’s Administration in December 2001, Mr. Tsagronis spent 17 years providing analytical and policy support to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community on counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, asymmetric warfare, and homeland security from various positions he held in the private sector, academic and think tank communities. His work in counterinsurgency these last 25 years has brought him to nearly 50 countries ranging from Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Philippines, Nepal, Cambodia, Colombia and Peru.

Mr. Tsagronis is a student of Bates College and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He is a long-standing member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society, both in London. He was born in Ohio, grew up in New England, and now resides in Virginia with his wife and two daughters.

Professional Experience

Vice President, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
Formerly Senior Director for Policy Implementation, National Security Council;
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Foreign Assistance, U.S. Department of State;
Deputy Assistant Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development; and
Senior Analyst, National Security Research, Inc.

Education

B.S., Political Science, Bates College
H.B. Earhart Scholar, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University

Courses

National Security Policy Process

Theory and Practice of U.S. Counterinsurgency